Books

Henry VI’s wife Margaret of Anjou was one of the leading figures in the War of the Roses

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Red Roses Blanche of Gaunt to Margaret Beaufort

By Amy Licence

The History Press, £20, 384 pages, hardback

ALAMY X1, PRESS ASSOCIATION X1

When we think of the Wars of the Roses, the 15th-century battles between the houses of Lancaster and York for the English throne, we tend to think of men fighting on horseback in muddy fields. Yet this thought-provoking new book argues that we should also turn our attention to the women – queens and council leaders, wives and mothers- who shaped the conflict in a different way. Exploring the stories of those on the Lancastrian side, Amy Licence also offers valuable insights into the ways in which women throughout this period could shape both their own lives and those of the people around them.